Opinion: Indian gaming benefits South Dakota

Monday, October 2, 2006  

"There is no turning back the clock on gambling in South Dakota. Deadwood, video lottery and Indian gaming are all here to stay.

Native American casinos have created thousands of good-paying jobs for South Dakota residents. We've kept tourist dollars in South Dakota. And in every community where we operate casinos, we have contributed thousands of new dollars to local economies, helped our local school systems, provided additional funds for law enforcement and fire protection and provided our tribal members with economic security - for the first time in generations.

Before the Flandreau Tribe built Royal River Casino on our land, unemployment among the local community and our members was, sadly, very high. Now it's less than 1 percent. That's something everyone in South Dakota can be proud of.

Our new economic plans will go forward when the governor takes a step to make sure that gaming regulations and opportunities are balanced and fair to everyone. Deadwood and video lottery sites have been granted large increases in their number of machines. (In the case of Deadwood, they've increased 374 percent.)"

Get the Story:
Mark Allen: Gaming expansion will benefit tribe, state (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/1)